


Pandora's Box

by Dustydennicks



Category: Fire Emblem Series
Genre: All Characters are OCs, Multi, Original Story - Freeform, not original title
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-04
Packaged: 2018-08-28 12:58:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8446753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dustydennicks/pseuds/Dustydennicks
Summary: Harrison is a Mercenary looking to make some cash.  His newest job? Delivering a strange box to a small village.





	1. Into the Woods

“Come on, Harrison, think.” I told myself as I trudged along the path.  “Which way is it to Camella Village?”

I had been on the road for about three days.  I knew directions weren’t my strong suit, but it was starting to seem ridiculous that I had gone so long without finding any sort of civilization.  It didn’t help that I was by myself, with nothing to my name save for a pouch full of coin, a sword at my side, and a small box I was asked to deliver.  I suppose that’s what happens when you’re a Mercenary: people pay you to do things they don’t want to do themselves.

I had been told to deliver the box to a man named Tama in the small village of Camella, but under no circumstances was I to peek inside to see what it held.  At first, I tried to see if I could sneak a peek while I was on the road, but upon looking at it, I noticed a seal across the latch.  Apparently they’d thought of everything.  I never did get the name of the man that gave me the box, though.  When you pay someone over 5000 gold to deliver something and not ask questions, that someone should know not to ask any questions.

 

Eventually I came across a small river running slowly down the terrain.  When I got to it, I thought it no more of a stream than a river.  The water moved slow enough that I could still see my reflection in the water, albeit slightly distorted, but quick enough that I thought it safe to drink.  I decided to take a short rest near the stream as I looked at my reflection.

I had always been fond of my blond hair, rising in a medium-length quiff atop my head.  My green eyes could barely be seen in the water, though I supposed that was because it was almost evening.  As I rested, it was only just sinking in how much I had traveled today.  It must have been anywhere from eight to ten miles, and that was without resting.  I started to look around in my pack, seeing if there was anything I could use as a makeshift cup, but I found nothing, so I decided to cup my hands together and drink that way.

 

An abrupt rustle in the shrubbery nearby caused me to stop mid-drink.  Dropping my water back into the stream, I grabbed the scabbard at my right side.  I would like to think that one of the reasons I’m as successful as I am is because I fight left-handed.  Though, realistically, I’m not sure that matters.

I turned my gaze behind me, to the light forestry that seemed to surround the stream, as if I was standing in a clearing.

“Who goes there?” I asked the empty air around me.  “Show yourself, and do it quickly.”

I’m not sure if I heard something, or if I had a gut feeling, but I jumped to my left and rolled.  When I got up, I looked at where I had previously stood.  An arrow had planted itself in the ground to replace me.  Well, no one had told me this job was going to be easy.

“So be it.” I said, unsheathing my sword.  It was nothing special to most people, being made of hardened steel and having no magical effects, though I had commissioned it specifically for me, even going so far as to carve the name “Celeste” into the steel itself.  I hadn’t been in combat for a short time, but surely I could handle some petty thieves.

Judging from the location of the arrow, I decided that it had come from someplace in front of me, away from the stream.  I walked closer into the forest and spoke again.

“Come out now, and I promise not to kill you.” I spoke with an air of superiority, though on the inside I was shaking in fear.  I never was one for combat, but you have to do what you have to do.

A yell, paired with the sound of rustling footsteps, alerted me to my right side, where I saw a cloaked figure sunning towards me.  He seemed to also carry a sword, though his was made of bronze, and poorly smithed bronze at that.  As he slashed at me, I parried the blow with my own sword, not stopping for a second to check for other bandits around.  As I deflected blow after blow with little trouble, my attacker started to look tired.

“This is my chance.” I thought, as I swung my own sword, hitting him in the arm with the broad side.  No need for bloodshed if it’s not necessary.  As he doubled back in pain, he dropped his sword and stumbled to the ground.  I pointed my sword at his throat.

“Is there something you wish to tell me?” I asked, before I saw my attacker start to smile.  It was at that point I noticed the sharp pain in my right leg.  It felt as though fire was seeping into my very body, and after a moment it was more than enough to drop me to my knees.  How could I have forgotten the archer?

The thief in front of me took no time in getting back up and picking up his sword, reversing the positions we held just moments prior.

“Well, that’s a nice looking sword you have, there.” He said to me.  His voice was scratchy and deep, which didn’t seem to be a combination I found too often.

“I think it’ll fetch a high price.  Thanks for the gift.”  I heard another noise.  There were more footsteps, but these were louder, quicker, more rhythmatic.  As the thief brought his sword up, undoubtedly to murder me, or at least badly wound me, I heard a noise, like an arrow being fired.  The thief’s face went white, and his eyes started to show something similar to fear.  He fell over to the side, his sword once again falling to the ground.

I saw a large pole sticking out of the thief’s side.  Someone must have thrown a javelin at him, and with great accuracy; who could have done that?

“Sorry I’m late.” I heard a voice rush up to me and the collapsed thief.  I looked up to see a man with very short dark brown hair and a winning smile stretched across his face.  He looked all too happy to have just thrown a javelin at someone in the middle of the woods.

“That guy didn’t scare you, did he?” He asked, his smile changing to a look of concern.  Whoever this man was, he certainly didn’t seem hostile.

“No, I was just about to take care of him.” I said, looking around the area in hopes of finding the archer.  No doubt they left as soon as they noticed I wasn’t alone.

“Right, and Gem here is scared of dogs.” He patted his horse’s mane.  “My name is Declan, what about you?”

“My name is… Harrison.” I said with a grunt as I tried to force myself to stand.  I didn’t think one arrow could cause me to be such a detriment, but here I was.

“Hey, don’t hurt yourself.” Declan said, getting off of his horse.  “I’ll help you up and take you into town.  I’m sure someone there can help you out.”  My ears perked up.

“Wait, there’s a town nearby?” I asked him.  “It wouldn’t happen to be Camella, would it?”  Declan furrowed his brow, but explained as we continued to ride towards the town.

“Nope.  We’re headed to Myrrka.  It’s a small town located along the river.  I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of Camella, to be honest with you.”  Great, I’d taken a mission for a town that doesn’t exist.  I wondered what would happen to the other 2500 gold I was promised.  I was given half for the journey, and the other half when I succeeded.

“Do you think someone in town might know of it?” I asked, hoping that Declan was just as clueless as I was.

“Probably.  Maybe one of the cartographers.  I’ll ask when we get there.”

We ended up riding Gem for a good hour or so, but eventually we made it into town.  I wasn’t sure if I could handle riding on a horse, but apparently my leg didn’t hurt too much until I started to walk on it.  Declan got off his horse and tied him up to a post outside a large building, but told me to stay on it.

“Don’t put too much pressure on your leg.  I’m gonna go see if someone can help you take care of this.”

About two hours and a talkative Priestess later, I was finally able to stand without any support.  I was surprised by how much better I felt after magic healing.  I normally didn’t bother with it, since it was usually expensive compared to quick heals like Vulneraries, but if it made that much of a difference I wouldn’t mind befriending someone with that kind of skill.

Over the remainder of the day, Declan took it upon himself to show me around the town.  It was a little bigger than I expected, but still easy enough to walk around.

“Are you sure that Gem is going to be okay by herself?” I asked him as we walked.

“Oh yeah, she’s fine.  I paid the Priestess a little extra to make sure no one takes her.  Crime isn’t too common in Myrrka.  At least, not that I know of.”

He continued to show me around town, but much of what he told me went straight to the back of my mind.

“Hey, Declan.  I have a question for you.” I said once we made it to the inn.

“Shoot, good buddy.” He responded.  I wasn’t sure if “buddy” was the right term I’d say, but I let it slide.

“Why were you in the forest today?” I asked.  I did think it a bit coincidental that he appeared just as I was getting my ass handed to me by a couple of bandits.

“I was training.” He said, rather matter-of-fact.  “I go out into these woods about every day to practice my weapon skills.  I’m training to be in the army.”

“The army, huh?” I asked again.  “That’s… noble.”

The two of us sat and talked for what seemed like hours, with subjects ranging from small talk about the town to our favorite foods and activities.  Declan seemed like a pleasant enough guy to talk to.  I wished I would be able to stay for a bit longer, though the night seemed to creep ever closer.  By the time we had finished talking, it had to be close to midnight.

“It’s been fun talking with you.” I told Declan as I gathered my things.  “I should be out of here by the morning.  Thank you again for saving me out there today.”

“It was no problem.” Declan reassured.  “Honestly, don’t think anything of it.  That was better training than I’ve had in a week!”

I wished him a good night and walked into the inn.  The atmosphere seemed normal for an inn in a small town.  There was a bar off at the end, though it wasn’t comparable to a tavern.  Just something to ease off a little stress, I assumed.  There weren't many people at the bar, which was also something I expected.

I walked over to the front desk and asked if for a room, which cost me about 100 gold. A bit pricey, but the receptionist said that it came with a hot meal in the morning, which was something I couldn't pass up.  I walked up the stairs leading to my room and unlocked it, finding (again) a room that I'd come to expect from small inns. A bed in the corner, an area reserved for sitting and reading, a desk, and a lavatory.  The bed was comfortable enough, and eventually I was able to drift into a soothing rest.

 

The morning came too quickly, if you ask me. I was woken up by the sound of knocking on my door, where I heard a feminine voice.

“Mr. Harrison?  Your continental breakfast is here.” They give it to you as room service?  Wow, inns were much nicer than I remembered.  I got up and opened the door, making sure I was presentable first.  The woman walked in with a tray, which she set on the desk.

“Here you are, sir.  Your breakfast this morning is a simple pork sausage with cuts of roasted chicken, paired with toasted bread and strawberry jam.” She walked over to the door and grabbed a pitcher from behind it.

“Of course, you’ll find our home-brewed tea to be some of the finest in Myrrka.” She exclaimed as she sat the pitcher next to the food, along with a small glass.

“I hope you enjoy your breakfast, sir.  If you need anything, my name is Mara.” With that, she took a bow and left the room.

“A Maid, huh?” I thought to myself.  “This inn’s nicer than I thought.”

I readied myself after the amazing meal, putting on what little armor I possessed, making sure my sword was safely fastened, and even looking in the mirror of the lavatory to make sure my hair was perfect.  When all was said and done, I grabbed the key to the room and walked out, saying my farewells to the innkeeper and returning the key.

As I walked out, the sun caught my eyes, causing me to squint my eyes and shield them with my hand.  I walked a little outside, and noticed that a tall figure blocked the sun from my eyes.  Looking up again, I noticed a familiar soldier sitting atop a chestnut horse.

“It’s about time you got around.” Declan said, looking down at me.

“What are… why are you here?” I asked him.  It was still too early to do much critical thinking.

“I told you, I was going to see if anyone knew where this Camella village is, and wouldn’t you know it? One of the cartographers in the nearby research guild told me that Camella is somewhere south of here.  It’s a good week or so of a walk, but it shouldn’t be nearly that long on horseback.”

“Just one problem.” I told him.  “I don’t have a horse.”  Declan shot me another furrowed brow.

“Well, now Gem and I are both offended.” he said.  “And here I thought you’d be needing someone to help you out.  After your last fight, I wouldn’t want to leave you on your own, especially knowing you’ve got a week’s journey to get to where you’re going.”

“You… want to come with me?” I asked him.

“Well, I was debating on it, but since you asked so nicely…” Declan trailed off. “Hop on, buddy.”  With little more conversation, I climbed aboard Gem and held on to Declan, making sure not to fall off as we rode out of town.

“Next stop is gonna be a small village called Molva.  It’s much smaller than Myrrka.  I’m not even sure if it has anything notable.” Declan explained as we rode out.

“Sounds good to me.” I said.  With that, we rode off together into the morning sun.


	2. Caged No More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harrison and Declan meet up with a rather fiery Knight in search of her missing liege.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, actual first mention of death in this fic, as well as the first mention of blood. They're rather light, but I figured I'd warn the reader just in case

Declan and I traveled into the woods once again on our way to Molva.  It was a long ride, and we didn’t quite make it to town before trouble happened.  As we rode into the forest, I heard the rhythmic clanging of metal, as if a heavily armored soldier was running as fast as possible.  Lo and behold, my suspicions were correct.  A solid wall of polished red armor came charging our way.

“Where is she!?” The armor-clad voice yelled out.  The person wearing the armor looked to be a woman, her long black hair put up in a bun.

“Where is who?” Declan asked back, thoroughly surprised by the woman.

“Where is Ella!?” She yelled once more, a lance pointed at Gem’s throat.  “I’ll kill you if I have to!”

“Whoa, watch it, lady.” I called out from behind Declan.  “I don’t know who Ella is.  The two of us are on our way to Molva.”

“Yeah,” Declan replied.  “I’ve never met anyone named Ella.  Who is she?”

“Liar!” The woman yelled once more, thrusting her lance now at Declan, though still not touching him.  “You look just like them!  You took her!”

I took it upon myself to get off of Gem and unsheath my trusty sword, Celeste.

“Listen, lady.” I started.  “I’ve never heard of anyone named Ella, and I don’t know where she is, but if you don’t put that lance down, I’m going to have to fight you.”  With this, the woman pointed her lance at me.

“Quit calling me ‘lady.’” she said.  “I am Alloura, and I am tasked with protecting Lady Ella with my life.  If you think this fight is what ends me, you are severely mistaken.”  With that, she lunged, knocking me on the ground.  I was able to dodge the tip, though she was able to swing the whole lance, the force of which knocked me off my feet and onto the ground.  She raised her lance up and prepared to strike, before she looked at me in confusion.

“Wait just a second.” She said.  “You’re… you aren’t the person who took Ella.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling you.” I said, still collapsed on the ground.  As I got up, Alloura lowered her lance.

“I’m… I’m so sorry.” She spoke sweetly, now that her malice was gone.  “I just saw the horse, and I just got so angry that I couldn’t think clearly.”

“You got something against horses?” Declan asked.  I’d almost forgotten he was there.

“No, it isn’t that.” Alloura said.  “I just… somebody took Ella.  I couldn’t protect her, and she was taken away by a man on a horse.”

“That’s horrible.” I said.  “But why did you assume that Declan and I were those people?”

“It was the horse.” She responded.  “I mean… I don’t know.  It’s hard to see in this armor.”

“But you aren’t wearing a hel-” Declan practically pushed me over as he got off the horse.

“Whoops, sorry buddy.” He said in his usual perky tone before looking back at Alloura.

“We’d love to help you out,” he started. “But unfortunately, Harrison and I are on our way to Molva, like we said earlier.  I’m not sure if we can spare any time.”  I could tell in her eyes that she was nervous, but more importantly, she looked scared.

“Who is Ella?” I asked, sheathing my sword again.  I wanted her to know that I wasn’t her enemy, because dear lord did she knock me on my feet faster than that arrow did yesterday.

“She’s a Cleric, born and raised in the country of Rausten.  She was sent here as a sort of pilgrimage.  She is meant to travel the world and obtain holy relics from the different temples of Naga.”

“Sounds like a pretty important person.” Declan spoke up.

“She is.” Alloura retorted.  “She originally had a whole squadron of allies to help protect her, but they…” She trailed off at this, and I decided not to press too much further.

“I’m… sorry for your loss.” I said.

“That’s why it’s my duty alone to protect Ella.  I’m all she has left.”  I could have sworn I saw tears developing in Alloura’s eyes, but I didn’t want to be the one to say anything.  In fact, no one did, which is why the screaming helped us more than I thought.

“It sounds like we found our girl.” Declan said, hopping up on Gem.  “Come on, Harrison.”  I looked back at Alloura, but she had already charged off in the direction that the scream had originated from.

“Damn, that woman is fast.” I said, chasing after her.  I wonder at times why I never bothered to get on that horse, but it’s too late now.  Declan charged past me, quickly catching up to Alloura before passing her.  He kept going until I could hardly see him anymore.  Surprisingly, Alloura was getting further and further from me.  My leg wasn’t hurting anymore, so why was I so far behind?  I took a mental note to start running more as I followed Alloura into a deeper thicket of the woods.

As I ran into the clearing, I immediately saw where the screaming was coming from.  Right in the middle of what looked to be a shoddy campsite, a cage was erected that held a small red-haired girl fighting to keep hold of an ornate staff as a long-haired man looked to be trying to take it away.  The small girl kept screaming, though the man yanked the staff from the girl and smacked her with it, knocking her to the ground.  I looked at Alloura, noting her reaction.  Something told me this was the girl she was looking for.

Alloura, however, was already gone.  She hadn’t stopped when she started charging, and by the time I realized where she was, she started to tear down the cage with her lance.

“What is that thing made of?” I remarked, noting that Alloura was getting surprisingly far just using her lance to tear at the cage.  Declan must have heard me, though.

“I’m not sure, but I figure we better help her out.  Look over there.” He motioned to the tent at the edge of the clearing, where two men got out, each holding axes.

“Great.” I said aloud.  “Why don’t we just throw in some sort of dragon, and we can finally call this a party.”

“Hey, don’t be too sarcastic.” Declan said.  “Bandit groups like this usually employ some type of wyvern rider.”

“Don’t remind me.” I said.  Wyvern riders were more of a pain in my existence than anything else.  Fortunately, I couldn’t seem to find anyone flying around so I could make an ass of myself.  I used this time to follow Declan into battle.

When I caught up to one of the bandits, I noticed that I was much faster than he was.  I was able to dodge his axe swing no problem, while quickly retaliating with a swing of Celeste.  These bandits must be much weaker than I imagined, because one swing was all it took to send this man to the ground, gasping in pain.

“Look man, I’m sorry.” I said to him.  “But your friend is kind of beating a small child, so I’m not gonna stand here and take that.  If you’re who I’ve gotta get through first, so be it.”

“If you’re done chatting.” Declan yelled at me. “I’m sure Alloura could use your help.”

I turned my direction back at the cage that Alloura had now torn completely through, and at the man practically cowering in fear as she held her lance up, ready to strike.  I turned back to Declan.

“Nah, she’s got things under control.” I said, trying to hold back a bit of laughter.  Declan had also easily taken care of the bandit that he had charged after.  I looked back at Alloura.

“Who are you?” The man shrieked as Alloura showed no sign of lowering her lance.  I could tell from so far away that she was fueled with sheer hatred.

“I’m your worst nightmare!” She screamed back, before plunging the spear right into the man’s chest.

“Oh…” I winced back as I saw what looked like a lot of blood on the tip of Alloura’s lance.  I’d… never exactly seen that much blood before.  It almost made me sick, but I tried to keep it together.  For Declan’s sake… yeah….

Alloura wasn’t even sweating when we got over to her.  Did her own fury burn so much that it evaporated her sweat?  No, not likely.  The more likely option was that she hadn’t sweat at all.  Was there anything this woman couldn’t do?

I knelt down beside the small girl and held out my hand.

“Ella, I take it?”  The girl looked up from her crouched position and gave me a worried look, but took my hand and stood anyway.  When she turned her gaze to Alloura, she gasped and ran over to her savior, greeting her with a hug.

“I told you I’d protect you, sweetie.”  Alloura cooed, patting Ella’s hair.  “I’m so glad you’re not hurt too badly.”  Declan had gotten off from Gem again, this time picking up the ornate staff that the man had dropped when Alloura so furiously murdered him.  He walked over and presented it to Ella.

“I believe this is yours?” He held it out to her.  I could see her eyes lighting up even brighter, and I thought that she, too, had tears developing.  She took the staff from Declan and hugged him as well.

 

Later, while we were still in the camp, the four of us had decided to rest a while.  It seemed as though there weren’t any other members of the camp in hiding, and the area looked cozy enough, save for the three dead bodies scattered all around.  I decided to get to know our friends a little better.

“So, how is it you got captured, Ella?” I asked.  She looked at me with a stare of confusion before looking back at Alloura.

“Ella can’t speak.” Alloura said tersely.  “She was born with completely damaged vocal chords.  Or at least that’s what the specialists have told us.”  Ella nodded as Alloura spoke, which seemed to be an agreement.

“So I guess we’ll never know.” Declan said.

“I guess not.” Alloura said.  “Unless she wanted to write it out, but I’m not going to make her retell her experience if she doesn’t want to.”  I was touched to see this more gentle side of Alloura.  It was certainly much better than watching her put the fear of Naga into that man before she brutally murdered him.

“Oh, so she can still communicate?” I asked.

“Yes, but I’d prefer if you didn’t talk about her as if she isn’t here.” Alloura responded again.  I looked over to Ella, but all she gave was a nod and a beaming smile.

“Right.” I said.  “Sorry about that.”

“Ella can also make some more primal noises, like yelling.” Alloura continued.  “Which is why she screamed out back there.  She just can’t vocalize her thoughts.”

Now that I had a better look at Ella, she seemed to be much different from the scared girl I saw earlier.  Her red hair seemed to reflect the sunlight to look like fire slowly dancing around her head.  It was very wavy, and ended at about her shoulders.  She wore a long flowing red dress, in a similar hue to Alloura’s armor.

“So, what do you two do now?” Declan asked.  “I mean, where’s your next destination?”

“We were planning on going to Vezara, since the temple there holds another relic that Ella needs for her pilgrimage.”

“Vezara?” Declan asked.  “That’s actually not too far from here.  In fact, I think it’s actually on the way to Camella.  If you want, we could tag along with you!  I’d love to help you guys out.”

“I’d love the assistance.” Alloura chimed.  “Honestly, it’s been rather difficult keeping Ella safe from harm.  I’d love any help I can get.  Thank you, the both of you.”  I looked over at Ella, and she seemed to enjoy the fact that they were both travelling with us now.

“Well, the day is still young.” I said after a moment of awkward silence.  “And we’ve got a long way to go if we’re gonna make it to Vezara.  Let’s get moving, guys.”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------

“Hey, what’s that staff for, anyway?” I asked Alloura as we walked through the forest.  I tried making small talk as Declan carried Ella on his horse.

“It’s for healing.”  Alloura said.  “Ella is a trained Cleric.  She is capable of using that staff to heal others.”

“Oh, that’s interesting.” I said back.  “So when she grows up and completes her pilgrimage, she’ll be able to work as a Priestess?”

“That’s the plan.”  Alloura said.  “She told me once that she hopes that ending her pilgrimage would cause her vocal chords to regenerate.  Something about the gift of Naga.”  Alloura looked away, and I could tell that she didn’t seem too hopeful.

“Well I hope it works out for her.” I tried encouraging her.  “I wonder what her voice would sound like.”

“I wonder that every day.”  Alloura spoke quietly now, apparently not wanting Ella to eavesdrop on the conversation.  “Every day, Ella writes about how much she’s looking forward to getting her voice.  Poor child…”  Again, I saw tears creep into Alloura’s eyes.

“It’ll be okay.”  I told her.  “I’m sure that Ella will be able to talk one day.  And even if she never does, who cares?  She’s still the same girl.”

“You’re right.”  Alloura said, wiping the tears from her face.  “But I don’t want her to feel incomplete.  If she never gets her voice, I’m scared that she’ll live her whole life thinking she’s not as good as the other people of this world.”  Whoa, the topic got very heavy, very quickly.

With that, the four of us marched on, finally leaving the forest once and for all as we made our way to Vezara.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you so much for reading! Comments and kudos really do a lot to motivate and inspire me to write this story, so they are always greatly appreciated!


	3. Trapped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our crew of adventurers come across a seemingly abandoned village of people. Little do they know that they have entered the trap of an inhumane man set on creating his own army.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, this was a long chapter, but I'm just having so much fun writing all these chapters. I hope you all are having as much fun reading them. I also introduce some of my favorite characters in this chapter, so I hope you like it!

The four of us continued on out of the forest, Declan carrying Ella with him on his horse, while Alloura and I walked on either side of them.  It was the first time in a long time that I had traveled with company.  I looked up at Ella to see how she was holding up.  She had tucked her staff away in a makeshift harness that Alloura had crafted and stuck on Gem’s saddle, so she had no need to carry it.  Ella seemed quite content, especially seeing that she was taller than Alloura and me.

“Are you having fun, Ella?” Alloura made sure to ask several times as we marched along, and each time Ella turned her head over and nodded.  I wasn’t sure if she was smiling, but I wouldn’t put it past her.  After all that girl had been through, at such a young age I might add, she was still able to be positive.

“How long have you and Ella been travelling?” Declan asked Alloura.

“It’s been about a year or so.” She replied.  “At least, it feels that long, but if it really has been that long, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“How far have you come on your pilgrimage, Ella?” I asked her, hoping to elicit some response.  Ella thought about it for a while, before holding up eight of her fingers.

“Eight?” I questioned.

“Yes, eight.” Alloura replied.  “Ella now has eight of the twelve relics she was told to collect.”

“Oh wow, that’s quite a lot!” I said.  “It sounds like you’re almost done.”

“Not quite.”  Alloura responded again.  “The next one is in Vezara, then in Badisi, then in Monake, and finally, Gacia.”

“Oh wow, that’s a long way to go.” I said.  “But Gacia, that’s still in this continent.”

“You’re right about that.” Alloura spoke again.  “We wanted to save this string of four for last, since they’re all on the same continent.  Still a long way to go, but we’re almost done.”

Because I am not the conversationalist that I would like to be, we continued the walk in silence.  On our way, we happened to come across a very, very small village… if you could call it that.  There were a total of about five houses, with a small vegetable farm on one end.  All of the buildings looked to be residential, save for a huge building right in the center of the cluster.

“I wonder what this place is.” I asked alound.

“I’m not sure, but I hope they have food.” Declan and Alloura seemed to have the same idea.

“I’ll ride on ahead and see if there’s anything we can discover.” Declan said as he took Ella with him.

“You better not let anything happen to her!” Alloura called out as Declan galloped on.

“I know it’s natural to worry,” I told her. “But there’s no reason.  I doubt Declan would let anything bad happen to such a young girl.”

“Ella is sixteen.” Alloura said, which caused me to widen my eyes in disbelief.  “She just looks much younger because she’s so short.”  Sixteen, huh?  That was like, four years younger than me.  Not that much younger, if you ask me.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I spoke up again.  “I thought she was twelve.”  Alloura sighed.

“She gets that a lot.” She said as we continued to walk towards the group of houses.  Declan had begun riding back with Ella.  As the two of them stopped, Declan began explaining what he found out.

“So apparently this isn’t really a town or village or anything.” He explained.  “It’s more like… just a colony of people.  A very small colony, if you ask me, but a colony enough.”

“Did they have any supplies in there?” Alloura asked before I could get a word in.  “Anything in terms of food or shelter?”

“Like I said, there were barely any people, even for as many houses as it had.  I was starting to think the place was abandoned before I realized that all of the people in town were in that big building in the middle.”

“That seems odd.” I spoke up.  “Maybe we should check it out?”

“If you guys want.” Declan said.  “I mean, I guess it wouldn’t hurt, but we’re losing daylight.”

“Then it won’t take more than a moment.” Alloura assured us as she started marching onward.

 

As we walked into the colony, I immediately realized just how right Declan was.  There was a creepy air about the place, almost as if it had been abandoned.  There were no plants growing in the small garden.  It looked like there weren’t even any seeds.  Near the entrance of the town, I saw a decrepit sign hanging just barely from a hinge labeled “Acomb”.  I looked over at Alloura, who was knocking on one of the doors to a building.  After a little while, it became evident that there would be no answer.

“Looks like the only place left is in that big building.” I said after the four of us regrouped.  They all agreed with me, so we continued on, making our way to the center of the colony, where we found a building that was much larger than anything I’d seen before.

“It’s like you could hold a whole town in there.” Declan stated.  “Though there still weren’t that many people inside.  I wonder what all the space was for.”

As we got to the door, Declan dismounted from Gem and helped Ella off as well.  The four of us went up to the door and knocked, waiting for someone to answer.  After a while, a rather young-looking man opened the door.

“Can I help you all?” He asked, especially pointing the question towards Declan.

“We were just stopping by.” Alloura said.  “We were hoping if there was any chance we could purchase some supplies in town.”  The man looked at the four of us and scratched his chin before responding.

“I suppose there might be something I could find to help you all.  Why don’t you come inside?”

“Thank you.” I replied.  “Your help is greatly appreciated.”

Declan was not making an understatement when he suggested that the building was big enough for an entire village to live in.  Though it seemed large on the outside, the inside felt so much bigger, as if there was some magic capable of creating a space this big inside of a building.  It looked as though there were about twelve people in the main room of the house, which was the first room we entered.  I looked around, and saw a staircase leading up, as well as a hallway leading to a number of doors.

“Please, make yourselves at home.” The man said, taking a bow.  “If you should need anything, my name is Kekoa.”  The man then exited up the stairs.

“That guy was… polite.” Alloura said.  “I had expected a tour, with how big this place is, but it looks like we can just see for ourselves.”

“I’ll go see if we can find anyone who can tell us about this place.” I said before breaking off from the group.  I didn’t want to seem too suspicious, and you can only look so normal when grouped with a woman dressed to the teeth with bright red armor.

I wandered over to a couch, where I saw three people sitting.  There was a woman with blonde hair, a gruff looking man with black hair, and oddly enough, a little boy with bold blue hair.  It looked so unnatural, almost like a deep cobalt.  His ears looked to be more pointed than anything I thought humanly possible.

“Uh, hey.” I said, greeting myself to the three people.  “We’re uh… I’m… new here, and I just wanted to see who I could find.  And you are?” I asked the three of them with a vague wave of my hand.  None of them spoke for a while.  I wasn’t even sure if they had heard me.  Actually, I thought it strange that they hadn’t even acknowledged us when we walked in.  Finally, the small boy turned to me and smiled.  One of his canine teeth were even longer than the other, and seemed to peek out even when his mouth was closed.

“Oh, were you talking to me?” He asked.  “I’m Taran.  These guys don’t really talk much.”

“Right.” I said.  “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Taran.  My name is Harrison.”  I pointed over to Declan, who was the only person still standing by the front doorway.  “And over there is my friend Declan.”

“Oh, that’s cool.” Taran said, before redirecting his attention elsewhere.  I started to walk away before he stopped me.

“Hey.” He said, not looking at me, nor even in my direction.  “If you find my favorite rock, can you bring it to me?  It’s kind of blue and sparkly.  I don’t know how to describe it.”  I gave him a rather questioning look, but I let it pass, since the kid looked like he was about ten years old.

“Yeah, can do kid.” I said as I walked away to regroup with Declan.

“Hey, why are you just standing here by the doorway?” I asked him.

“Oh, look at me: Mr. Personality, who can just go up to people and talk to them.” He said in a mocking tone.

“Whoa, sorry man.” I said.  “Do you know where Alloura and Ella went?”

“I think they went upstairs.  Ella wanted to explore, so she grabbed Alloura’s hand and dragged her off someplace.”

“Great.” I answered.  “I’m gonna take another look around, maybe see if I can find that Kekoa guy and see if we can get any supplies.  This place is giving me the creeps.”

‘What makes you think that?” Declan asked.

“I mean, just look at all these people.  None of them have even looked at us.  It’s like they’re zoned out or something.”

“Hmm, you’re right.  That is pretty weird.” Declan said, reaching for the door.

“Wait what are you doing?” I asked.

“You know, just trying to get out.” He replied.  “I know better than to get involved with this kind of stuff.  Gem and I will meet you guys later.”

“Wait!” I said.  “Do you at least know anything about a blue stone?  Like it’s blue and sparkly?”

“What do you need a sapphire for?” He asked.

“Oh, nothing.  It’s just this kid who is looking for one.  He said it was his favorite rock.”

“Yeah, it’s quite a beauty.” Declan said.  “Well, I’ll catch you later.”  Without another word, my friend had left the building.

I finally noticed a noise, which honestly scared the shit out of me.  I sharply turned my head to the couch I’d just walked away from, and saw Taran scrambling over to me.

“Hey, did your friend just leave?” He asked me.

“Yeah, he said it was kind of creepy in here, so he left.” I lied.  “He’ll be back later, though.”

“Yeah, but how did he leave?” Taran asked.  “I mean, I told myself I wasn’t leaving until I got my rock back, but even when I tried, the door wouldn’t open.”  This caused me to look at the kid in disbelief.

“What do you mean the door wouldn’t open?” I asked him.

“I mean, watch.” He tugged on the door handle, and sure enough, the door wouldn’t budge.

“That’s pretty strange.” I told him.  I tried to open up the door myself, and sure enough I was easily able to pull on the handle and see the outside.

“How did you do that?” Taran started to raise his voice.  “You’ve gotta tell me!”

“I’m not sure.” I replied.  “I just… opened it.”  At this, I heard the loud clanging of metal on metal as I heard a familiar set of armor come down the stairs.

“Harrison, we are leaving immediately.” Alloura stated tersely as she pulled Ella by the hand.  “This house has nothing to offer us, and to be quite honest this place gives me the creeps.”

“You and me both.” I replied, ducking away as I did not want in her way.  She opened the door and went outside.

“Come on Ella, we’re leaving.” She said, pulling Ella by the hand.  Except, Ella wouldn’t go; rather, she wasn’t able to pass through the doorway.  As she touched the area of the doorway, it seemed as though an invisible force stopped Ella from exiting the building.

“Come on, Ella!” Alloura started to raise her voice, but Ella looked at her with something I thought akin to fear in her eyes.  Fear, and a small amount of confusion.  After a moment of realization, Alloura dropped Ella’s hand.

“What is going on?” She boomed, rushing back into the house and slamming the door.

“Where is that man Kekoa?” She asked.  “I need answers, and I need them right now.”  I had figured that Alloura would be quick to anger, but I was never sure just how quick until this very moment.  I wrote myself another mental note to not get on her bad side.  Ever.

“Why can you three go out, but she and I can’t?” Taran spoke up, looking at me.

“I have no idea.” I told him.  “But I’m gonna get to the bottom of this.  There’s gotta be some sort of magic going on.”  Taran’s pointed ears perked up as I mentioned magic.

“Magic?  Why didn’t you say so?” He said, regaining the childlike cheer that I’d heard in his voice when I met him.  “I think I know exactly who to talk to.”  He took my hand, much how Alloura took Ella’s, and dragged me behind him, leading me down the long hallway.

“Who is this child?” Alloura asked as we walked.

“Oh him? He’s Taran.” I said, trying to be nonchalant.  “He’s like the only person I could get to talk to me here.”

“Interesting.” That was all Alloura said until we got to the end of the hallway.

“She should be in here.” Taran said, reaching for the door knob.  “But she doesn’t like to be bothered, so try to be super quiet.”  With that, he opened the door and led us through.

 

On the other side of the door was… oddly enough, just a simple bedroom.  It was cluttered with different books of varying sizes, all over the floor, the desk, even the bed.  The only strange thing was…

“Why is that child floating?” Alloura asked as we entered the room.  Sure enough, in the corner of the room, there was a young woman floating in the air, reading a book by candlelight, the candle also floating in midair.  The girl shifted her gaze over to us.

“What are you doing in here, Taran?” She spoke with venom in her words, but also in a childlike manner.  Were these two siblings?  No, impossible.  This girl looked nothing like Taran, having normal ears and pure white hair, long enough to be tied into a voluminous braid.

“I’m sorry, Melly.” He said, almost twitching in the knees.  “But these guys are new here, and they mentioned something about magic, so I assumed you’d know what they were talking about.”  The girl made her way toward us, by means of floating.

“Stop calling me ‘Melly’.” She scolded him as she approached us.  “Hello, my name is Melantha: Mistress of the Arcane.”

“Uh, hey Melantha.  Nice to meet you.” I said.  “Why are you floating?”

“A simple spell, really.” Melantha floated over to her bed.  “Walking bores me.  It’s so much more fun to fly wherever you want to go, isn’t it?”  Though her hair was white, her eyes were a very intense shade of purple, which matched her outfit.  She wore no armor, instead choosing a translucent violet robe.

“I guess so.” I commented.  “But, do you know anything about why Ella here can’t leave?” Melantha perked her head up at the mention of this.

“Wait, so it’s other people?” She asked.  “It’s not just Taran and I who can’t leave?”

“So, you didn’t cause this?” I asked her.

“Of course not!” She yelled, injecting the same venom in her words as she had when she scolded Taran.  “This curse is the doing of my father.  I don’t know why we can’t leave, but something is forcing us to stay in this house.”

“Where is your father?” Alloura asked.  “Surely we can talk to him and get him to release you two, and release Ella as well.”

“I’m not sure if it’ll be that simple.”  Melantha looked rather glum.  “I’ve already asked, at least once a week, but there’s still been no sign of budging on his part.”

“Once a week?” I asked.  “How long have you two been stuck here?”

“A year.” They both said in depressed unison.

“Such a terrible burden for children.” Alloura stated.

“I’m not a child.” Taran spoke.  “I’m twenty years old.”

“What!?” It was mine and Alloura’s turns to be in unison.  Ella also seemed to have a look of surprise on her face.

“Yeah, it’s true.” Melantha said.  “Taran is three years older than me, but you’d hardly think it true.”  The whole time, Melantha did not stop floating in the air.

“Are you going to go?” She asked us.  “I’m bored of this conversation already.”

“Uh, yeah sure.” I told her.  “Just tell us where your dad is, and we’ll be on our way.”  Taran pulled Alloura and me out of the room, while Ella followed close behind.  The door seemed to magically shut behind us.

“Don’t worry, I know the way.” He told us.  “If we’d have stayed any longer, she would have done something terrible.”

“Is she truly a mean girl?” Alloura asked.

“Not necessarily.” Taran said.  “She doesn’t go out of her way to be mean to me.  She just really likes her personal space, and hates it when people impose themselves on her.”  Taran led us up the stairs, down yet another hallway.

 

“In here.” Taran said as he knocked on the door.  I heard a muffled gruff man’s voice on the other side, but I wasn’t able to decipher what was being said.

“He said he isn’t taking visitors right now.” Taran said.

“Preposterous.” Alloura spoke sternly.  “He will see us right this instant.”  When Alloura knocked on the door, I thought it would break off of its frame.  A moment later, a tall, menacing man opened the door.

“What is it you want?” He asked in more of a threatening manner than an inquisitive one.

“We wish to discuss why my daughter can’t leave this house.”  I could tell she paused on the word daughter, as if she was making up a term to call Ella.  I highly doubted they were related, since besides the color of their garb, they bared no resemblance.  Also, Alloura looked to be older than me, but not old enough to have a sixteen year old daughter.

“Very well,” He lowered his tone.  “Come into my office.”  He allowed us entrance as he walked around to sit behind a desk.  I saw all sorts of papers scattered on the desk, though I couldn’t make out what any of them had printed on them.  It was as if the papers were written in another language.

“I will put it frankly.” The man spoke.  “Your daughter cannot leave this premises.  She has been deemed too valuable to leave.”

“What do you mean, too valuable?” Alloura asked him.  “And to whom am I speaking?”

“You may call me Sigmund.” The man answered.  “Your daughter has great potential.  Has she had any schooling in the magic arts?”

“She has trained to become a Cleric.” Alloura stated.  I wondered why she was revealing so much about Ella, but I figured it was the best chance of getting out of here without Alloura tearing someone to shreds, so I let it be.

“Ah, so that is it.” Sigmund pondered as he looked at some of the papers on his desk.  “You see, every person in this house is magically gifted, in one way or another.  This young man is no exception.”  He gestured over to Taran.

“Why are you keeping magically gifted people in this house?” I asked him.

“Because, boy, I plan on studying them.  I desire to know where magic energy comes from, so that I can effectively continue my research.”

“Your research on what, exactly?” I pressed him harder.

“That is classified information.”  He responded.  “You want to leave this house?  Fine, I will permit you to leave, but do not come back.” He went back to writing something on a piece of paper.

“Come on, Taran.  Let’s get out of here.” I said as we got up to walk out of the room.  Sigmund lifted his head up.

“Oh no, not him.” He said. “I told you that I was only permitting you to leave.  He must stay here, along with your daughter.”

“Unacceptable!” Alloura yelled out.  “Ella is leaving with me, and that is final.”

“My, you are a brute of a woman.” Sigmund said deadpan.  “If you want to leave with your daughter, then fine.  I will permit you to leave.  You can even take this brat with you, if you’d like.” He motioned over to Taran again.

“You’re… you’re serious?” I asked him.

“Of course I’m serious.  I don’t want to be arguing with such a brash woman all day.  I’d hate to lose my temper.”

“Oh, well in that case.” I looked over to the three of them.  “Let’s get out of here.”  We made our way down the stairs and over to the door.

“Come on, Taran, see if it’ll let you open it.” Sure enough, when Taran pulled on the doorknob, the door promptly opened.

“Whoa!” Taran exclaimed.  “That’s never happened to me before!  I gotta tell Melantha!”  He went to run off, but I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

“Easy there, buddy.” I said, surprised by my use of the phrase.  “We can’t have her dad changing his mind.  I’m sorry, but she’s just gonna have to sit this one out.”  With that, I pulled him out of the house while Alloura did the same with Ella.  They easily exited the building, and Declan met up with us outside.

“Hey you guys.” He said.  “What took you so long?”  He stared puzzled at the new kid next to me.

“We had some things to work out.” I tried to wrap up everything as briefly as possible.  “Oh, and this is Taran.”

“Hi there.” Taran responded, waving at Declan.

“Oh, is this the kid who was looking for the sapphire?” Declan asked.

“What’s a sapphire?” Taran wondered.

“Right…” Declan said.  “Anyways, we should probably get out of here.  I don’t think we should stay in this town any longer than necessary.

“Agreed.” Alloura spoke.  “Let us be on our way.”

As we neared the entrance to the colony, I thought I heard the sound of creaking wood.  I looked around, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

“Something catch your eye?” Declan asked.  “I can tell you that nothing is here.  Gem and I ran the whole perimeter of this place and found absolutely nothing but run down buildings.”  I heard the noise again, like creaking wood.  Something was up, but I wasn’t sure what it was.  That is, until the wood finally snapped.

It caused a loud crashing noise, which turned all of us towards one of the houses.  Where the door used to be was… something indescribable.  It was something out of a horror novel.  It had a giant’s body, with skin as green as swamp moss.  It had no recognizable face, only a metal mask with far too many holes drilled into it.  Attached to its wrists were heavy metal chains that clattered as they ran across the wood.  It didn’t seem real.

“What is that thing?” Declan shouted out.  “It looks hideous!”

“Whatever it is, we don’t have time to find out.” I said.  “Let’s get out of here!”

The five of us ran off in the direction of the town entrance, with Ella riding on Gem along with Declan.  When we got to the other side of the gate, I noticed a loud “Oof!” sound and turned around.  I noticed that Declan, Alloura and I had passed through with no problem.  Though with the same problem as before, Taran and Ella were stuck on the other side.

“What is the meaning of this?” Alloura shouted, running up to Ella to help her up.  Apparently, she’d fallen off of Gem when the gate forced her to stay behind.  Fortunately, she didn’t look too banged up.

“Come on, Declan, we’ve got to help them.” I said, running after Alloura.

“This is why we shouldn’t have come here.” Declan said as he charged forth.

When we reentered the colony, we were met with a wicked laughter that seemed to be coming from every side of us.

“Did you honestly think that I would let the two of them leave?” I recognized that voice.  It was Sigmund.

“Where are you?” I asked, pointing my attention to the door of the mansion.  Sure enough, there he was, standing outside.

“This is my town.” He said.  “I told you that those two possess too much magical potential.  I’m not letting them leave.”

“Explain yourself!” Alloura shouted.  “Why do you need so much magic power that you must trap an entire town in your home?”  We were met with another crashing noise, and I turned my head to one of the other houses.  As with the last house, the door was replaced by one of the same hideous monsters that was standing outside the first house.

“Why, so I could make my army.” I heard Sigmund almost cackle in a booming, maniacal tone.

“Hey look!” Taran shouted, pointing at the second monster.  “That’s my rock!”  Sure enough, around the monster’s neck was a shining blue stone that appeared to give off its own light.

“Yes, and your rock is the reason my army has developed as quickly as it has.” Sigmund continued.

“Look man, we don’t want any trouble.” I shouted.  “Just let us leave and we’ll be on our way.”

“I already told you, I have no intention of letting you leave here.  I can’t have other people knowing about my experiments, now can I?” He laughed again.  This man was in no way human.  In appearance, maybe, but he lacked basic ethics.

“Alright then, we’ll just have to force you.” Declan shouted.

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that.” Sigmund said.  “My army doesn’t like for their leader to be messed with.”  With a single snap of his fingers, Sigmund caused another two doors to be burst open with similar looking monsters.

“Now, my army of Faceless beings!  Make sure these nice visitors are taken care of.”  He turned around to go back inside the mansion.

“Oh, and make sure not to harm the boy.” He said, obviously referring to Taran.  “The others are no use to me, though.”  With a maniacal laugh, he entered the mansion and slammed the door.

“Well, it looks like we’re going to have to fight these things.” I said as the monsters Sigmund called Faceless suddenly became animated.  They noticed us and began slowly stomping forward.  I unsheathed my sword, while I saw Alloura and Declan ready their own weapons.

“Looks like this is gonna be a tough one.” Declan said.  “I have no idea what these things are capable of.”  Alloura took hold of Ella and held her tight.

“Stay with me, child.” She said.  “I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”  Taran ran over to Declan.

“Hey, can you help me get my rock back?” He asked.

“Sure thing, kid.  But I’m not sure what that rock has to do with anything.”

“That’s my favorite rock!” Taran almost seemed insulted.  “Plus, Sigmund said that he needed it to make these things stronger.  Don’t you think it’d be easier to beat them if we took it back?”

“I guess you’re right.  Come on kid, let’s go.”  With that, Declan and Taran rode off in the direction of the Faceless monster that had Taran’s rock.

I followed suit, running up to one of them and swinging my sword.  It was no use, though, as my sword barely scratched the body of the monster before clanging back.  Was it made of metal or something?  I wondered how one man could make so many effective golems.  The Faceless was much bigger than I had imagined, standing about as tall as Declan when he was on his horse.  It brought up one of its fists and slammed it to the ground.  I was able to dodge the actual fist, but the slam was so powerful it caused a small vibration, which knocked me off my feet.  Damn, do I need balance classes or something?  The monster raised its second fist, much faster this time, as it went to slam into my chest, though it never arrived.  I heard a familiar voice.

“This’ll be fun!” a feminine voice yelled out as I saw a black aura envelop the monster, stopping it in its tracks.  When the aura dissipated, the monster was lying on the ground.  As if defeated, it started to evaporate.  I looked over to where I thought I heard the voice and saw a floating girl in a deep violet robe.

“Melantha?” I asked, extremely confused.  “What are you doing here?”

“I discovered that the curse surrounding the house had been lifted.” She said.  “I felt it in the air, and decided to take a look for myself.  When I got outside, I saw all of these gross monsters, with you all right in the middle.”  She floated over to me.

“You were going to leave with Taran and not me, weren’t you?” She asked, getting right in my face.

“N-no, of course not!” I lied again.  “I was going to come back for you when we found out we could actually leave.  Now we’re stuck here until we defeat all of these monsters.” As if on cue, I heard another loud crashing noise in the direction of the mansion.  Three more monsters had just burst out of the woodwork.

“That’s my house!” Melantha yelled.  “Oh, father!  You’ll pay for this!”  She floated off in the direction of the mansion.

“Hey, wait!” I called out.  “Why don’t my weapons work on them?”

“They’re golems that have been created with flesh and metal.” She explained.  “It’s a pretty complicated ordeal, but the metal causes ordinary weapons to be ineffective.  My magic, however, is always effective.”

“That’s incredible.” I noted.  “Can you help out Taran and Declan?  Taran thinks that if he gets his rock back from the monsters, then he’ll make them all weaker.”

“He’s right.” Melantha said, and floated off in their direction to help them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you so much for reading! I would greatly appreciate it if you left a comment with some thoughts of what you like and maybe some constructive criticism, and kudos are also greatly appreciated!


	4. A Fight to the Finish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group teams up with an unexpected ally to stop the Faceless encounter and confront Sigmund for his wrong-doings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a quick note, I want to mention that this chapter has a trigger warning for mentions of suicide.

 

The fight had only just begun when Melantha made her way over to Declan and Taran.  I could hear her shouting something else, but all I saw was another black aura surrounding the Faceless monster.  Just like the first one, it collapsed to the ground and started to evaporate.  I ran over to the three of them to see if Taran’s stone was still there.  Sure enough, as soon as I’d arrived, Taran had salvaged the shining gem from the evaporating monster.

“Thank you so much!” Taran seemed to be beaming with joy.  His smile reminded me so much of a child’s, it was difficult to imagine that he was actually my age.

“Come on, we’ve got to help Alloura.” I said, turning to the first house.  I saw Alloura face to face with one of the monsters.  I could hear her voice boom from all the way over here.

“You won’t lay a finger on her!” She roared as she plunged her lance deep into the Faceless monster’s chest.  My eyes widened in surprise as the monster collapsed to the ground and started to evaporate.

“On second thought,” I said.  “I think she’s got this one covered.”  I turned my attention to the one original Faceless remaining.  We still had the three from the mansion to worry about, but that would be a problem for future Harrison.

“I’ve got this one!” Taran said as he ran up to the monster.  I heard a child’s laughter as I yelled out to him.

“No, Taran!  It’s dangerous!”  He didn’t listen.  The Faceless raised a fist in the air as it readied to strike, but Taran kept running.  The Faceless slammed its fist down, and all I saw was a blinding flash of light.

“Missed me!” I heard a voice shout.  It definitely was similar to Taran’s, though it seemed oddly booming, and slightly distorted.  After the light from the flash disappeared, there stood a bold cobalt figure where Taran once stood.  It had four legs, and seemed to be a shining wyvern.  The wyvern opened up its mouth and blasted a ball of pure energy at the monster, disintegrating it entirely.  There was a brief pause before the flash reappeared, with Taran taking the place of the shining beast.  Declan and I were absolutely in awe.

“What… what was that?” I asked, looking at Declan.

“Beats me.” He added.  “I’ve never seen anything like that.”

“That’s the reason Taran’s been kept here.” Melantha spoke.  “He’s a Manakete, a breed of practically extinct dragon people.  I’d never met one before Taran, and most people go through life not even hearing about them.”

“A Manakete?” I asked, walking over to Taran.  “How come you didn’t do that before?”

“I told you why.” Taran said.  “That’s my favorite rock.  Once I got it back, I was able to transform.”  I started to ask another question, but Melantha seemed to be on top of things.

“A Manakete has a stone called Dragonstone, which is bonded to their very being.  With it, a Manakete is able to release its full potential, transforming into a dragon.”

“Wow, that’s really fascinating.” I said.  I went to ask more about Manaketes, but Declan interrupted me.

“It’s nice of you to have a chat and all,” He groaned.  “But I think we’ve got other matters to attend to right now.”

“You’re right.” Melantha said as she floated her way over to the only remaining Faceless: the ones blocking the entrance to the mansion.

“I’m bored of you already!” Melantha yelled as she went to trap another Faceless in her aura, but this one was able to dodge out of the way.  It instead countered her attack, sending her flying through the air.

“Melantha!” I yelled out, running after her.  She had landed all the way out in the abandoned farm.  I had thought it too far a distance to be knocked back, but she was floating in the air.  She must be extremely fragile.  By the time I had arrived, Melantha was lying in the dirt in an extremely uncomfortable position.  I started to make my way over to Ella, hoping her assistance would help, but there was a familiar figure standing over her.  He was very young, and dressed much too high-class for the environment, even without the fight.  He had in his left hand a blue staff, similar to what Ella held.  His thick black hair held in a taper cut, while his sharp green eyes never left Melantha.  The staff glowed with a bright white energy, and I saw Melantha’s body envelop in a similar substance.

“Kekoa?” I asked, unsure of how the man had escaped the mansion without anyone seeing him.

“Are you surprised?” He asked me, never averting his gaze from the girl.  “I had made a promise long ago that I would protect Lady Melantha.  I’m simply doing my duty as her butler.”  It was at this point that Melantha had gotten the energy to stand.

“You know,” she started to float in the air once more.  “You don’t have to call me ‘Lady’. I’m just Melantha.”  She floated over to a book that looked as though it had fallen in the dirt and picked it up, dusting the cover to reveal a bright violet dyed leather.  Was there a limit to how much purple this woman would have on her person?

“Come on.” I said, motioning toward the mansion once more.  “Taran and Declan can’t fend off those things forever, especially with three of them at once.”

“Allow me to assist you.” Kekoa stated in a proper tone.  “I may not be much help, but I do have a supply of throwing weapons.  I’ve studied how to debilitate my opponents with them.”

“Sure, whatever.” I said, thinking that staff of his would be more useful than anything.  Ella seemed to be too preoccupied keeping Alloura patched up while the latter kept tearing into the Faceless monsters.  I honestly had to ask her later about her training regimen.

The three of us ran back up to the mansion, where we found Declan and Gem trying to swiftly dodge the blows the Faceless kept launching.  The three at the mansion seemed to be much more resilient and much quicker than the previous four, because a blast from Taran’s dragon form was only enough to send one of them back a couple feet.  There was no way any of us could slip into the mansion without being intercepted by them, so I figured our best bet would be to take them out.  I ran up to the one on the far right, since that one didn’t seem to be too preoccupied.  Declan was close by, focusing on the center Faceless, while Taran seemed to be attacking the one on the far left.  So far, none of the Faceless had moved from their positions.  It was as if they were only there to stand guard.

“Melantha, team up with Taran!” I yelled out.  Surely with their combined magical skill, they could take one down.  The question was, could I help Declan take one down without magic?  I ran up to the monster and a surge of energy flowed through me.  Was it Kekoa’s staff?  I wasn’t sure, but I wasn’t about to question it.

“By the sun and stars!” I shouted, leaping up and driving Celeste into a large socket of the Faceless’s mask.  It seemed to convulse violently, before swinging a fist at me.  I dodged out of the way, but it was already preparing another attack.  As it swung its fist down, it suddenly jerked to the side.  I looked closer to find the item responsible to be a small shuriken dug into the monster’s arm.  I looked back over to Kekoa.

“Now is your chance.” He assured me.  I took the opportunity to slash at the monster with everything I had.  Finally, the monster collapsed to the ground and started to evaporate.  As I looked over to Declan and the others, I started to drip sweat.  I hadn’t had this intense a workout in quite some time.

Declan seemed to be having zero trouble defending himself against these monsters.  He and Gem worked in perfect unison to both dodge hits and strike with Declan’s sword.  I wondered how long they had been practicing together.

“Hit me, if you’re able!” Declan shouted before slicing at the enemy with his sword.  I could have sworn I heard the sound of metal tearing, and I saw a billow of what appeared to be smoke rise from the stomach of the monster.

“Did you just disembowel that thing?” I asked as I ran up to him.

“Not sure.” He said, almost questioning if the thing had bowels to begin with.  “But I do know that it looks like the smoke is what’s causing it to do everything.  Look.”  I looked back over, and sure enough the monster seemed unable to move, though it wasn’t evaporating like the others, save for the smoke rising from the gash in its stomach.  I could hear blast after blast being launched from Taran and Melantha, and as I looked to check on them, I noticed that Taran had already reverted to his original form.  It seemed as if there were none of these monsters left.  Alloura and Ella came marching up to us after the fight.

“That was certainly unacceptable.” Alloura scolded, looking to see that we had all made it out okay.  She glared at Kekoa.

“And you!” She started to yell, but I stopped her before she got too far.

“Wait, Alloura!” I said.  “Kekoa had nothing to do with this.  He was helping us in the fight!”  I could see the fire die down from her eyes.

“Is this true?” She asked.  I could tell in her face that she was skeptical.

“It is, milady.” Kekoa bowed.  He showed no sign of fear for Alloura, and I for one was more than impressed.  “I took a vow to protect Lady Melantha and Lord Taran.  They are but children, and it is my duty to see that they are unharmed.”

“A noble enough cause.” Alloura spoke quietly, looking down at Ella.  Taran seemed to be slightly miffed, crossing his arms as he looked away.

“I’m not a child.” I heard him mutter under his breath.  After a brief moment of rest from the fight against the Faceless, I made sure everyone was ready to confront Sigmund.

“I’ll make him beg for mercy.” Alloura said behind gritted teeth.  The fire in her eyes was back, but I figured she had expended enough energy.

“Let’s cool it, Alloura.” I said.  “That’s Melantha’s father we’re talking about.”

“So?” Melantha surprised me with her response.

“So…” I replied.  “I’m going to make sure nothing bad happens to him.”

“Why?” Again with the surprising responses.  “My father is a terrible man.  He kept me and Taran trapped here against our will for over a year.  He’s planned on and succeeded in stealing magic power away from people to use in a mindless army.  He even planned on stealing the life of his own daughter for his selfish reasons.” I listened to her rant.

“If you ask me, he doesn’t deserve to live.”

There was a moment of cold silence after Melantha spoke her last sentence.  I looked over at Declan with a “what should we do?” kind of face, to which he gave me his own puzzled look.

“If it would please you,” Kekoa bowed again.  “I can make sure that your father sees the error of his ways.”

“No offence, Mr. Kekoa.” Taran said.  “But I don’t think a tray of food is gonna convince Sigmund to let us go.”

“Very well, then.” Kekoa nodded.  “I will sit and wait for instructions on our course of action.”  I had an idea, but I wasn’t sure of how it would work.

“Alloura, take Ella and Taran to the edge of town.  Declan, you go with Kekoa to make sure there aren’t any more Faceless in the town.  Melantha and I will go to confront Sigmund.”

“Are you nuts?” Declan asked me.  “The guy clearly isn’t right in the head.  What if something happens to you guys?”

“I’ve got my sword.” I said, tapping the hilt of the blade.  “Melantha also has her magic, and is Sigmund’s daughter.  Surely we’ll be okay.”

“If you say so.” Declan said, motioning for Kekoa to board his horse.  Alloura took no time escorting Taran and Ella, while Melantha and I made our way into the mansion.

 

It was… eerily silent in the mansion.  I could actually hear my own heartbeat as I walked through.  Nothing seemed to be the same as the first time we’d entered.  The people on the couches were gone.  The building seemed to be much smaller now, only having one room off to the side, with a small spiral staircase leading up.

“This is weird.” Melantha said as she hovered next to me.  “I didn’t know that this was what the house actually looked like.”

We made our way through, going into the room off to the side.  I noticed that it was only Melantha’s bedroom, and looked as though it hadn’t been touched at all.  She hovered in and grabbed several tomes.  She seemed to be struggling from the sheer weight of it all, before she cast an almost transparent energy on them, causing to float in the air next to her.

“Is there anything you don’t use magic for?” I asked her.

“If you can use it, why wouldn’t you?” She responded as we exited the room.  The two of us walked up the stairs.  Well, I walked while she hovered.  I noticed that the upstairs portion of the house had also changed.  There was only one hallway upstairs, with a door to the left and to the right.

“Father?” Melantha asked.  I took note of the slight tinge of fear I heard in her voice.  “Father, where are you?”  I heard no response in the silent mansion.

I decided to take a look at the room on the left, and noticed that it was a room filled with books of all kinds.  I found leatherbound books, woodbound books, and even books that were bound only by a piece of string.  They seemed to cover a variety of topics ranging from cooking to the history of magic.

“Your dad liked to read?” I asked her as we looked around.

“Yeah.” She said coldly.  “He would always have a book in his hand, no matter what we were doing.  He loved knowledge so much.”

“That seems to be very admirable.” I stopped to consider who I was talking about.

“Not everything is as it seems.” She added, floating out of the room.  Had I made her upset?

Lastly, there was only one door left.  Melantha knocked quietly.

“Father, are you in there?” She asked.  “It’s me, Melantha.  Your… your daughter…”  Still no response.  She opened the door, and I heard her gasp before I saw her collapse on the ground once more.

“Melantha!” I shouted, running over to her.  I looked into the room, and could not believe what I had seen.  There, in the center of the room, was a knocked over chair.  My eyes traveled up, noting the expensive-looking leather shoes and tailored clothes.  My eyes were not playing tricks on me, much to my dismay.  I saw the rope tied to the chandelier.  I was honestly surprised that it had been able to support his weight.  Without thinking, I entered the office.

 

The silence coated everything in the room, as if something in the room wanted no sound to be made.  I had thought that even my own heart had stopped beating as I looked around.  His desk contained various documents of different subjects.  Some seemed to be business contracts.  I was unsure of what type of business man he was, but something told me I didn’t want to find out.  Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary, though I did find a rather large book tucked away in one of the drawers of the desk.  There was a mark on the cover, obviously meant to signify something, though I didn’t know the meaning.  When I read through it, there were several mentions of a being named “Grima”.  I would need to ask Declan about it later, or perhaps Alloura.  She has traveled the world and all.  Whatever I did, I would hate to ask Melantha.  I didn’t want her to ever remember this moment.

There was nothing else of any interest in the office, so I started to step outside.  I picked Melantha off the ground, carrying her the way a bride might be carried after a wedding.  She seemed so peaceful as she was unconscious, though I hated to think of how she felt when she saw him.  When I walked outside, I noticed Alloura, Ella, and Taran were on the other side of the gate.  Declan ran up next to me, with Kekoa riding behind him.

“There doesn't seem to be any more Faceless.” Declan assured, before widening his eyes at the sight of Melantha.

“What happened?” He raised his voice.

“It… nothing.” I said.  “Nothing happened.” I must have looked like I had a thousand-yard stare, because Declan didn’t mention anything else as we walked over to Alloura.

“It’s getting dark.” Taran said, looking up at the sky.  “Do we have someplace to sleep?”

“You mean you don’t wish to stay in the mansion?” Kekoa asked.

“No way!” Taran shouted.  “I don’t wanna go there ever again!  I’d rather never have my rock than step foot into that place!”

“I suppose the house did carry some sort of negative connotation with the two of you.” Kekoa added.  “Very well, then.  At least allow me to get some of the supplies I promised for you.”  With that, Kekoa bowed once more before stepping back into the colony, and back into the mansion.

Within only minutes, Kekoa had returned, toting a large chest on wheels.  I had wondered if he saw Sigmund, but I didn’t want to press him.  In fact, I felt as though I wanted to erase the whole memory of it from my mind.

“Within this chest,” Kekoa explained.  “I have procured two tents, along with five sleeping bags.  I also brought some fine cheeses and cured meats.  I felt that we may not get another meal like this for a while, so I decided we would feast tonight.”

“Yeah, but why five sleeping bags?” Declan asked.  “I mean, with you three, there are seven of us now.”

“I thought it wise that at least two of us would stay up and keep watch.” Kekoa responded.  “Of course, it would be most efficient if we had shifts.”

“That’s a great idea, Kekoa.” I said.  “So who wants the first shift?”  Alloura stepped forward.

“Allow me to take watch for the night.” She said.  “You all should rest.  You fought hard today.”

“As should you, Lady Alloura.” Kekoa bowed.  “With all due respect, Lady Alloura, you must also rest.”  I could tell Alloura didn’t exactly agree with being called a lady, but she let it slide for one reason or another.  Without much more debate, we decided that Ella and Melantha would be sleeping the entire night, while Declan and Alloura took the first watch.  Taran, Kekoa, and I volunteered for the second watch.

“How does a solid twelve-hour rest sound?” Kekoa asked.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit much?” Declan and I agreed.  “I mean, I’m all for rest, but that’s kind of overboard.  Especially for those girls.”

“I don’t believe six hours each is much to growing children.” Kekoa explained.  “Though, if you wish, I suppose we could reduce it to only eight hours.”

“That seems more reasonable.” I decided, before heading into one of the tents.

The campsite was set up with both tents being on opposite sides of the center, where Kekoa and Alloura had helped to make a fire pit.  Once we had feasted on a variety of meats and cheeses, I went into one of the tents to check on Melantha.  She still hadn’t recovered from seeing her father, not that I blamed her.  I hoped she would be better in the morning.  I left her to her own devices, making sure there was another sleeping bag for Ella in the tent.  After I filled my stomach, I stepped wished Alloura and Declan a good night before stepping into the spare tent with Kekoa and Taran.


	5. Paralogue 1: A Night of Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to do most, if not all, support conversations in the form of Paralogue chapters. These chapters will be shorter compared to other chapters, but they will usually be paired with another chapter on the same day. These chapters only hold support conversations, so if the small talk doesn't interest you I would suggest you skip right ahead. Thank you so much for reading!

DECLAN

 

I had decided to take the first watch shift of the night with Alloura.  It wasn’t that big a deal.  I didn’t do much in the last fight, and I’m sure Harrison wanted to sleep off whatever he found in the mansion.  Shit’s spooky, man.

“I’m not even sure if I’ll be able to sleep.” I commented, sitting across the campfire from Alloura.  “Weren’t you creeped out by that place?”

“Yes, it was unsettling.” She replied.  “That is definitely not the type of environment I would have preferred Ella to be in.”  I almost had to laugh at just how properly she spoke.  I must have slipped up and actually laughed, because she turned to me.

“And what is it that has you so humored?” She asked, stopping me right in my tracks.

“Oh, nothing.” I said.  “It’s just, you talk like you’re speaking to a commander.  I’m just a guy with a horse.”

“You are a Cavalier.” She noted.  “A soldier should be proud of his title, much as I am proud to be called a Knight.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” I said.  “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t… you know, act natural around me.”

“I am acting natural.” She said with no sense of humor in her voice.  Oh Naga, she was serious.  I laughed nervously.  A rather awkward silence crept up again.

“I have a question for you, Declan.” She said.  “What business do you and Harrison have in Camella?”

“Oh, I told Harrison that I’d go with him to Camella and show him the way.  He said he has a package that he’s supposed to deliver to someone in the town.”

“So Harrison is a courier?” She asked.  “I find it strange that he doesn’t own a map.”

“I don’t think he’s a courier.” I added.  “He seems much too good with that sword of his to be any sort of ordinary messenger.”

“Perhaps he is a Mercenary, then.” Alloura decided.

“He might be.” I said.  “You know, I never really bothered to ask him.”

“I am confused.” Alloura said.  “Are the two of you not well-aquainted?”

“I mean, I guess you could say that.” I pondered.  “All I did was save him from some bandits out in the woods yesterday.”

“The two of you only met yesterday?” She asked.  “It seemed as though the two of you had some prior chemistry.”

“I’m not really sure what you mean.” I told her.  “I mean, I like to think I have about the same amount of chemistry with most people I meet.  You’re not the same way?”

“Of course not.” She stated.  “There are very few people I believe I have a close relationship with.  To let too many people into one’s life can only spell disaster.”  She seemed quite positive with her stance on the matter.

“Anyways…” Yeah, smooth segway, Declan.  Nailed it.  “We should probably find something to do.  We’re supposed to be up for like, two more hours.”

“I have something to do.” Alloura responded.  “I am keeping watch for Ella.”

“You really care about her, don’t you?” I asked.

“I do.” She didn’t speak another word.  She put her head down, her brown hair starting to fall over her face.  She had already taken it out of the bun it had been kept in since Harrison and I had met her.  Was it really only this morning?  It seemed like so much longer.

“If I might ask.” I started.  “What exactly happened to the rest of Ella’s protectors?”  Alloura perked her head up and glared at me, though I could tell that the fire in her eyes wasn’t meant to burn me.

“Some of them got bored.” She replied.  “At least two of them said that they didn’t want to keep going.   They said that it was a lost cause.”  Not for the first time today, I saw tears developing in her eyes.

“You don’t have to keep going.” I told her, but she kept going anyway.

“One of them said he’d make better money being a city guardsman.  One of them went mad, threatening to kill her because he thought she was impure.  Turned out he’d felt that way from the start.”

“Alloura… I…”

“Everyone was so selfish.  No one cares about Ella.  No one cares a single bit for the little girl I know, the girl I hear giggling sometimes when her voice allows.”  Tears were now streaming down her face.

“No one cares!” She got up and kicked the log she was sitting on into the fire, which caused me to fall over in surprise.

“No one cared about her.  She was so young.  She still is so young.  Her mother, her father, they left her to die.”

“Alloura…” I tried to offer any condolences I could, but my mind was coming up blank.

“Nobody cares about the girls!” She shouted.  “Nobody cares about the young girls, the girls of no family name, the girls who are born with abnormalities!  No one cares about them!”

“I’m… I’m all she has left.”  She collapsed on the ground, and I thought I heard a sobbing sound.  I got up and knelt down beside her, resting my hand on her shoulder.  She was much smaller than her armor made it out to be, but now I knew for sure that her strength was 100% natural.

“Alloura, it’s okay.” I spoke softly, trying not to tick her off.  “I’m here, and so is Harrison.  And now we’ve got a couple other friends, too.” I added.  “I guess I can’t exactly speak for all of them, but I can promise you that I will help to protect Ella for as long as I’m with you all.”  Alloura seemed to quiet her sobbing, and she lifted her face up to meet mine.

“Do you… do you truly mean that?” I could definitely see tear streaks down her face.  She must have been holding onto that thought for a long time.

“Of course I do.” I reassured her.

 

TARAN

 

That was a pretty short four hours.  It felt kinda suspicious, if you ask me.  But hey, I didn’t really mind.  I couldn’t sleep much, anyway.  I went to wake up Kekoa, which worked out just fine, but Harrison was a different story.

“Come on, man!” I said, trying every trick I could.  I shook him, lightly slapped his face, pulled him outside.  I even shouted right in his ear.  I thought he might have been dead, but Kekoa told me that he wasn’t.  Kekoa was smart when it came to caring for people.  That’s what made him such a good butler.

“So, why did you decide to come with us, Kekoa?” I asked him as we sat by the fire.  It was much warmer, and I felt much more at home around the fire than in that tent.

“It was a matter of my oath, Master Taran.”  Kekoa never gave up that kind of talk.  It seemed kinda uppity for my taste, but he didn’t seem like quitting any time soon.

“Your oath?” I asked.  “Like, hot oaths with apples and cinnamon?”  He chuckled a bit at this.

“No, young lad.” He said.  “You are thinking of oats.  My oath is a promise I made to myself.”

“Oh, cool.” I said, redirecting my attention to the fire.

“Might I ask why you have decided to travel with these people?” Kekoa asked.  “You and Lady Melantha are now free to do as you wish.  The two of you could travel the world together.  We have no idea what the four of them are even travelling for.”

“Does it matter?” I asked a question of my own.  “I mean, they’re travelling, right?  That means that they’ll end up someplace eventually, but until then I’d like to see where they go.”  I walked over to the large chest and grabbed a small snack that Kekoa had brought.

“Besides,” I continued.  “They seem like pretty cool people.  They did get me back my rock.”

“Yes, your Dragonstone.” Kekoa nodded his head.

“Is that what it’s called?” I asked.  “No one really told me.  My mom didn’t really have a chance to do anything before she…”

“Right, it is all too unfortunate that your mother was taken.” Kekoa said.  “Though I believe that she is still alive.  This ordeal will have only made her stronger than ever.  You know what they say, a dragon’s scales become harder with every cut they take.”

“They say that?” I asked him.  “Does that mean it’s gonna happen to my scales, too?”  Kekoa chuckled a bit more at this.

“Of course, my young dragon.” He nodded his head again.  “You are a Manakete, an extremely rare breed of people.  You are gifted with amazing potential.”

“Thanks, Kekoa.” I said.  “It’s nice to know that I’m traveling with a friend.”

“Hey, Kekoa?” I asked, after what seemed like too long a silence.  “How did you meet Melantha?  I mean, you were already here when I arrived, but I don’t know how you met her to begin with.”

“It seems like such a long time ago.” Kekoa looked off in another direction.  “I was hired by Lady Melantha’s father, Lord Sigmund, to take care of his, how he described, vicious daughter.”

“Vicious?” I asked him.  “I mean sure Melantha is scary sometimes, and doesn’t like to be bothered, but that doesn’t make her vicious.”

“I believe it had something to do with her talent in the dark arts.  Lord Sigmund feared that Melantha’s power would grow to be more than he could handle, so I was hired to try and teach Melantha new ways to practice her magical powers.”

“Like her flying?” I asked.

“Precisely.” Kekoa bowed his head again.  “Under my teachings, Lady Melantha learned more about different types of illusory and transfiguration magics, and less about the different curses and hexes other Dark Mages derive their skills from.”

“So Melantha isn’t really a Dark Mage?” I asked.

“Of course she is, child.” Kekoa stated so matter-of-fact.  “She still derives her powers from the dark arts, and is skillfully able to wield magic from dark tomes.  She wouldn’t be able to do even that if she weren’t a true Dark Mage.”

“Oh, okay.  I think I get it.”  My head was slowly wrapping around the idea, but I figured I’d understand if I slept on it.

“So… how much longer is this watch gonna be?” I asked.

“Judging by the position of the stars, I would say another three hours or so.”

“You mean we’ve only been out here for an hour!?” I was already so through with the whole watch shift idea.

“It seems that way.” Kekoa chuckled once again.

“Well, what about Harrison?” I asked.  “Shouldn’t he be awake, too?”

“I suppose so, but what can you do?  I would hate to impose on him.”

“I guess you’re right.” I sat on the stump that hadn’t mysteriously been thrown into the fire.  “Where did you learn to be so kind, Kekoa?”

“I suppose it is just a gift I have.” He smiled to himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you thought about this story. All feedback is greatly appreciated! I hope you liked it!


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